Authority to provide colon cancer screening

Program designed for at-risk people

The provincial colon cancer screening program will now be provided in the Labrador Grenfell Health region, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Community Services.

“The program is designed for people between the ages of 50 and 74 who are at average risk for colon cancer and is administered by Eastern Health as part of the Provincial Cancer Care Program,” states the news release.

Under this program, screening kits are given to residents upon request, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria

Paul Davis, Minister of Health and Community Services, announced the availability of the program in Labrador at the Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay on June 18.

“The Colon Cancer Screening Program allows individuals to be proactive about their health and to administer the screening test in the privacy of one’s own home,” stated Davis. “When colon cancer is diagnosed early, treatment has been found to be more effective”